The subject invention relates to a new and improved filler sleeve for use in conjunction with a bag for containing a powder, fibrous, flake or granular product.
During the pressurized filling of the bag the opening in the filler sleeve of the subject invention functions to permit the product to be deflected downwardly into the bag thereby reducing the likelihood of end panel blowouts. Further, the filler sleeve is operative to prevent unwanted escape of the product from the bag after filling.
In the prior art, various bags have been produced for holding powdered, fibrous, flake or granulated products which are adapted to be filled automatically. These prior art bags generally have an elongated tubular configuration, including opposed top and bottom ends. The bottom end of the bag was closed and the top end included a filler opening, adjacent one of the side edges of the bag.
Some of the prior art bags included an elongated tubular filler sleeve having opposed open ends. The sleeve would be connected to the top end of the bag with one open end thereof being contiguous with the filler opening, formed in one side panel of the bag. The opposed open end of the sleeve would terminate adjacent the opposed side panel of the bag. During a filling operation, the product would be injected under pressure, through a nozzle inserted through the filler opening of the bag. The product would then pass through the filler sleeve entering the bag through the opposed open end of the sleeve. While this construction enabled the relatively rapid, pollution free filling of the bag, unless the filling pressure was carefully regulated, the force of the product coming through the open end of the tubular sleeve would occasionally rupture the adjacent side wall panel of the bag. As can be appreciated, every occurrence of a "blowout" would substantially slow the automatic filling operations. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved filler sleeve which substantially reduces the likelihood of end panel blowout.
The prior art bags were designed such that additional sealing of the bag after the filling operation was complete was unnecessary. More particularly, after the filling operation was completed, the bag was inverted such that the weight of the product would rest on the filler sleeve. By this arrangement, the open ends of the sleeve would be closed off thereby preventing the escape of the product from the bag. Frequently however, when inverting the bag, the filler sleeve would develop wrinkles, defining channels to permit the escape of the product from the bag. The unwanted sifting of the product out of the bags would be exacerbated when the bags were handled and shifted during shipment and sale. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved filler sleeve that was substantially sift proof and inhibits the escape of the granular product from the bag.
Therefore, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved filler sleeve, for use in conjunction with a bag adapted to hold a product, which is operative to prevent the unwanted escape of the product from the bag.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved filler sleeve which substantially reduces the likelihood of side panel blowout from occurring during the filling of the bag.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved filler sleeve for use in conjunction with a bag adapted to contain a product, including an elongated tubular member having a closed end and a slit disposed in the undersurface thereof, the sleeve being operative to deflect the granular material downwardly into the bag to prevent side panel blowout.
It is still another object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved filler sleeve formed from a material which stretches during the pressurized filling of the product, such that the edges of the slit, provided therein, tend to overlap when the bag is inverted thereby preventing the escape of the product from the bag.